The NDPHS format was formally established in 2003 in Oslo, Norway to strengthen regional cooperation in the fields of health and social welfare. Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden were NDPHS founding members and signatories of the agreement.

The partnership aimed to promote cooperation with Russia and other non-EU Nordic countries, such as Norway and Iceland. This included knowledge and best practice sharing. 

To better coordinate the partnership's work, a secretariat was established in Stockholm in 2011 by all members, which Estonia will now exit.

A statement from the Ministry of Social Affairs on Thursday said the grouping was set up in a "different international context."

Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller (Reform) said cooperation with Russia within the format was suspended in 2022 after Moscow lanunched it's fullscale invasion of Ukraine.

"Estonia does not wish to cooperate with the aggressor state Russia in any form," she said in a statement. "Therefore, Estonia sees no need to be part of a joint health agreement with a country that kills people on a daily basis."

The minister stressed: "This decision does not affect people's everyday access to health and social services."

Estonia will continue participating in public health cooperation within the European Union, the WHO, and formats involving Nordic and Baltic countries, the ministry said.

Universities, local governments, and NGOs can continue to participate in Interreg and other EU regional programs.

As the agreement includes a notice period for withdrawal, Estonia will officially end its participation in the partnership's activities starting January 1, 2028.

Germany also ended its participation in the secretariat in January 2025, the ministry said.

Foreign policy and budget cuts

Asked for additional information about why Estonia is leaving the NDPHS format now, the ministry's head of communication Karin Väljamäe told ERR News there are several reasons, including foreign policy and cost-cutting.

"One of the key reasons for this decision is that the Russian Federation is a party to the agreement, which is not in line with Estonia's foreign policy objectives. As NDPHS focuses on public health and social well-being, it is inconceivable for Estonia to continue participation in a joint organization with Russia, which is carrying out daily attacks against the people of Ukraine," she said in a written comment on Friday.

Another factor, Väljamäe said, is that Estonia has reviewed its activities and international commitments to make savings.

"Withdrawal from the partnership is also necessary to avoid overlapping activities, as new and more effective regional cooperation frameworks have emerged that better correspond to Estonia's current needs and priorities," she said.

Väljamäe could not say if any other members were planning to leave or how the format would continue to work in the future.

'Undermines regional unity'

In a statement on Saturday, the NDPHS Secretariat stressed it had "terminated all cooperation with Russia" in 2022 following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"We fully share the position of condemning Russia's aggression. Our strategic goal is to preserve and value a functional Nordic-Baltic Sea network built on inclusiveness, equality, trust, and shared agenda-setting that advances common health and social well-being objectives across the region," it said.

The Secretariat also highlighted that NDPHS project consortia have generated €956,750 in direct value for Estonian institutions since 2023.

The initiatives have allowed for the implementation of health-promoting and social innovation initiatives that would have otherwise only remained in the ideation stage, it said: "Thereby providing financial leverage and added value that far exceed the state's own contribution to participate in the network."

The Secretariat continued: "The NDPHS remains committed to a unified and constructive line with Nordic and Baltic Sea neighbours to ensure regional stability. Actions that signal fragmentation risk reinforcing narratives that benefit those seeking to undermine our regional unity."

This article was updated to add comments from Karin Väljamäe.

It was updated for a second time to correct that the format was formally established in Oslo, Norway, and to add clarifications from the NDPHS Secretariat.

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